The Withering Lotus
by Et Noika
Summary: Post-series fic. Almost 50 years after the end of the series, an aging Katara must battle a new, corrupt White Lotus.


_"You know Prince Zuko, destiny is a funny thing. You never know how things are going to work out. But if you keep an open mind, and an open heart, I promise you will find your own destiny someday." Iroh- The Western Air Temple._

* * *

**Chapter 1: The Funeral**

"My Lord, they're ready for you."

A young man in white robes faces a massive crowd. Thousands of red banners stand in rows held by hooded figures, also clad in red. Two ponds run at each side of the clearing where the figures stood. At the far end, the flag of the Fire Nation waves in the wind next to the flags of the Earth Kingdom and the Water Tribe. Several dozen people dressed in green and blue ribes stand to the left and right of the ponds also facing the young man. Behind to the young man, three Fire Sages stand around a huge gold sarcophagus.

"Zuko." A Fire Sage dressed in red addresses the crowd. "Fire Lord to our nation for 42 years. You dedicated your entire life to rebuilding the world from the ashes of war. You saved our nation and our world from the brink of destruction and chaos and brought us into an unprecedented Golden Age of peace and kindness." Two sages clad in white robes stand at each side of the sarcophagus. "You were father of Kuzon, now passed. Father of Souken. Husband of Mai, now passed."

The Fire Sage turns and approaches the sarcophagus, but first he pauses and bows to it. "You will be forever remembered as our beloved leader." Behind the sage, the young man in the white robes looks down at the ground and sighs quietly to himself. The Sage reaches into the sarcophagus and takes the Fire Lord's diadem from the body lying there.

"We lay you to rest."

The two sages to the left and right light the sarcophagus with firebending. The red sage speaks again.

"You are now succeeded by your only remaining son." He raises the diadem up towards the sky above the young man's head, then places it on the man's topknot. Nobody notices the young man flinch ever so slightly as the metal touches his scalp.

"Hail Fire Lord Souken!"

* * *

"I hate this job." The guard mutters to the night sky. "Why couldn't you let me guard a bathhouse? Or a kitchen? Or something that isn't wet or muddy or dark or-" He smacks his left arm. "Or crawling with bugs. Ugh."

"Quit your whining." His partner says as he comes back from the post, holding two cups of tea. "At least it's easy. Here" He offers the hot drink to the other guard and sits down on the rock next to him. "You know the last time I worked for these bozos they had me guard a storehouse full of books and scrolls and who knows what. And all the time you could hear these screams coming from inside. Like they were torturing somebody"

The first guard takes a swig of tea. "That's camelbull and you know it."

"Yeah, whatever. I'm going back inside before it starts raining again."

The second guard leaves and goes back inside the post. The first guard stretches his arms and yawns. He rests against the back of the rock he's sitting on and closes his eyes. "Hate this place" He mutters to himself. Another bug lands on his back and he tries to twist his arm around to smack it. Suddenly something splashes behind him in the darkness.

"Uh?" He grabs his lamp and points it in the direction of the noise. But there's nothing there but puddles and a large rock covered in mud. "Is somebody there?" The guard waves the light over the area, but finds nothing.

"...weird." He heads back to the post. "Hey Lee, did you hear som-" The guard screeches to a halt. The post is empty, his partner nowhere to be seen.

"Lee?" He shouts. "Lee! Where'd you go?" He runs back outside into the muddy ground. "Come on, this isn't funny man! Where are you?"

The night does not answer him.

The guard's breathing speeds up. "Okay, okay, don't panic. I'm sure there's a perfectly good explanation for-" Another splash, the guard whips around. "Who goes there!" Again, nothing but wet ground and a large muddy rock. "Answer me!"

He points the light back to the post, where the candlelight from inside creates shadows that dance on the wall. Suddenly, he spots the mud shift back on the dark rock.

"What the..." He draws his sword. "Hello?" He keeps the light focused on the section of mud that moved. Without warning, he thrusts his sword into the mud, it hits the rock with a loud clang.

"Uh. Must be my imagination." He turns around and sheathes his sword. "Lee! Where are you!" He shouts as he points the lamp back into the darkness.

A pair of eyes open in the mud behind him.

"Le-Mmph!" Two mud covered hands suddenly reach over and grab him by the shoulder and mouth and throw him down into the ground in one move. The guard reaches for his blade but the mud-covered figure kicks his hand away. Suddenly, the mud around him seems to explode and a water whip smacks him in the head, effectively knocking him unconscious.

The figure smacks its hands together and swings them down. The mud it's covered in lifts off it's body and splatters down to the ground. The figure is a woman wearing a black ninja outfit. She grabs the unconscious body of the guard and drags him back into the post, then she runs back and brings out the other guard from behind the bushes she hid him in. Then she puts out all the candles inside with a flick of a smaller water whip.

Back outside, the woman climbs over the hill behind the post and looks over. A large factory stands at the edge of a cliff next over looking a river. She gets down on the ground and scans the factory. Several men bark orders around and direct the construction of a large metal structure. A group of carts are scattered in rows on the outside of the compound.

"What are you building..." She whispers to herself.

She rises and leaps over the top, heading towards the factory.

* * *

Several men sit around a large Pai Sho table. Another man stands next to the door, impatiently tapping his foot.

"Where is he? He's over an hour late."

A man speaks from the table. "Quiet. He's doing us a favor by coming here. And you've been out there, you've seen the city. We need his assistance."

The standing man grunts. "I still don't think we should trust these people. Secret organization. If they're so good why won't they tell us-"

Three knocks sound at the door. The men stop talking immediately. A third man steps over and opens a slot on the door at eye-level.

"Who knocks at the guarded gate?"

"One who has eaten the fruit and tasted its mysteries." A husky voice on the other side of the door answers.

The door opens, and a man stands beyond the door. Tall, dark and handsome, he's lean, wearing a simple Earth Kingdom robe with a cape that reaches to his waist. A gray beard with a few bits of black and white scattered runs across his jaw and a gray moustache sits on his upper lip. But the defining feature is the eyepatch. A black eyepatch rests over his right eye, the symbol of the White Lotus tile on it.

The sitting man rises and bows.

"It's our honor to welcome you, Grandmaster of the White Lotus."

"If you don't mind me asking," The man who was standing before says. "What took you so long?"

"I wanted to see the sights." The Grandmaster speaks. "I haven't been to Omashu in years and I just couldn't resist paying a visit to my favorite landmarks." He tugs at the robe he's wearing. "And I found this excellent robe at an excellent discount."

The standing man stares flabbergasted for a second. "Si-sights?" He advances toward the Grandmaster. "The city is in despair and you're taking in the s-"

A flash of silver stops the man. He blinks, and finds a long sword impaled in the wall just a few inches in front of his face. Holding it is a young man wearing a black robe, his face expressionless.

"Zhan!" The Grandmaster shouts. "That's no way to treat our hosts. These people have called us here because they need our help." The man's hand is about reach for a hammer in his belt. When suddenly the Grandmaster speaks. "Watch it now captain. Zhan is very good with that sword. I can testify to that." He turns to the group of men staring with their mouths open. "Gentlemen, Zhan of the Fire Nation, an Initiate to the Society and my personal bodyguard and assistant."

He turns back to the standing man, still frozen in place. "Sit down captain." The captain reluctantly sits. Zhan sheaths his sword and takes his place at the Grandmaster's side. "Sorry about that little scare gentlemen, but as I'm sure you're aware things have changed since the days of the Order. We're not an old men's club anymore." He chuckles. "Protection is necessary."

The Grandmaster sits down. "Let's get this meeting started shall we?"

The man sitting opposite of the Grandmaster begins. "W-well, yes. Grandmaster, we've called you here because we desperately need your assistance. Crime rates have escalated and many of our earthbenders have left the city to make new lives in the new world. The mail system is in shambles. Ever since King Bumi passed away and left us no heir-"

"Ah, yes. King Bumi" The Grandmaster interrupts. "I had the honor of knowing him. Great man, great king." He bows to no one in the room. Several of the men sitting around the table also hang their heads and bow. "But not even the greatest of men can defeat time."

"Yes, his loss touched us all deeply." The man resumes. "That was nine years ago. And ever since then the city has been falling apart. We- we just don't know what to do without his guidance."

"I see," The Grandmaster says. "Well general, you don't need to worry." The Grandmaster smiles. "The White Lotus exists to create a better world."

* * *

"Oh crap!"

The woman in ninja gears leaps down into the hole and lands in a puddle of sewer sludge. An iguanadog jumps inside and lunges at her. She moves her hands in a crushing motion and the sludge around the beast rises and freezes it to the wall.

She hears a voice from above shout. "She's gone into the sewers! Follow me!"

The woman quickly stands and runs down the tunnel, as she reaches an intersection she runs to the right, freezing the entrance to the left tunnel and the one she just took behind her. She keeps running though the tunnel and suddenly spots a light coming from the end. But when she reaches it she screeches to a halt. The tunnel opens into a huge canyon, the sewage seeping down into a river a hundred feet below.

"Oh come on!" She screams. "Are you kidding me?"

An explosion behind her brings her to her senses. She can hear the yelps and barks of more iguanadogs again and knows the guards must have blasted though the ice. She looks down the canyon at the river.

"Fine then."

She takes a few steps back and prepares to run.

"On three. One..."

A voice sounds from behind her "There she is!"

"Three!"

She runs and jumps out into the canyon, screaming.

The guards finally catch up. "Whoa! Stop now!" They hold back the iguanadogs, who are still barking down at the river. A guard peers down at the river, but the fog is too thick to make out.

"Let's go." Another guard says. "There's no way she survived that."

* * *

As the woman is about to touch the water, she waterbends the river up and has it meet her as she's falling, but the current is still too strong. She reaches up gasping for air and swings her arm in the river. The current suddenly moves and throws her onto the mucky shore. She coughs and gasp as she catches her breath. Then sits, still looking at the ground, breathing heavily.

She takes off her mask and throws it to the ground. The woman's long hair is brown but gray is starting to push its way up from the roots. It's tied back into a ponytail and the ponytail itself is tied in a knot. All with the exception of two loops of hair that hang from her temples to the back of her ears.

She's about to get up and leave when she realizes someone is here with her. She slowly looks up, a pair of naked feet stand on the mud, blue arrow tattoos run from the heels all the way up through his body up to his arms and forehead. A bald man in a simple monk's robe stares at her with a warm smile in his bearded face.

"Hello Katara." The man says in a soft soothing voice.

The woman stares with her mouth hanging open. "No, it can't be." She whispers and stands up. "You can't be here."

There is silence for a moment.

"Aang?"

"It's me Katara."

Katara of the Southern Water Tribe takes a step forward toward him. But suddenly she stops and grabs her head with both hands. "No, no this isn't real. This is just a dream."

"Katara-" Aang starts.

"I stopped having these dreams years ago. This shouldn't be happening."

"Katara, it's okay."

"No it's not okay!" Katara screams. "You've been dead for fifteen years!"

Silence.

"It'll be sixteen in a month, actually."

"Aang," Katara says, holding back tears. "What is going on?"

Aang looks straight at her eyes. "Katara, I know what you're planning to do."

Immediately Katara's whole demeanor changes. She stiffens up, her crying stops and she faces Aang directly. "How do you know that?"

Aang smiles at Katara's change. "Let's just say it's an Avatar thing and leave it at that."

Katara is silent for a moment. "Well?"

"Well what?" Aang asks.

"Are you going to try and stop me? Are you going to tell me not to do it?"

"Is there any point in doing so?" Aang asks sincerely.

Katara looks at him before replying. "No. No, I don't think there is."

"Katara," Aang says. "This isn't the right way."

"No." Katara says, her fists clenching. "I'll never forgive him for what he did."

Aang looks at her eyes one more time. "Don't do it. Please, for me."

Katara meets his eyes. "I'm sorry. I have to do this."

Again silence between the two. Katara finally speaks up. "Aang, how-how can you still be alive? I saw you die."

Aang smiles tenderly at her.

"I'm not."

Katara raises an eyebrow in confusion.

"Katara you're dead."

Katara opens her eyes. She's still in the river, being swept away by the current, but it's much faster now. She swims to the surface, huge cliff sides stand on both sides of the river with no shore, and she can't see the factory anymore. She swings her arm and realizes it's covered in blood. She must have hit her head on a rock someplace. Suddenly she becomes aware of a loud roaring noise and turns around. The river ends into a waterfall a half mile in front of her, and she was being swept towards it. Katara raises her arm to try and waterbend herself out but the current is too strong and she's exhausted. She can only watch as the river plunges into a lake hundreds of feet below and she falls down into darkness.

* * *

"Sir?"

The Grandmaster doesn't look up from his bowl. "Yes, Zhan? What is it?"

"A messenger hawk just arrived." Zhan hands a scroll to the Grandmaster. "Firelord Zuko passed away in his sleep last night."

Slowly, the Grandmaster sets his chopsticks down, closes his eyes and sighs.

"Finally."

The Grandmaster stands up and faces Zhan. "Is everything ready?"

"Yes, sir." He pulls out another scroll from his pack. "We're ready to begin as soon as you give the order."

The Grandmasters scoffs and waves his hand. "Please, Zhan, don't use the word order. You're so stiff sometimes."

Zhan doesn't reply.

"Yes, well," The Grandmaster coughs. "And what about our... targets?"

Zhan opens the scroll he had taken out previously. "The records have been updated. Only 3 of the subjects are still unaccounted for."

"Good." The Grandmaster turns around and looks out the window with his fists locked behind his back. "List them off for me why don't you."

Zhan reads from the scroll.

"Haru of the Earth Kingdom, currently living with on his hometown with his family.

Teo of the Earth Kingdom, currently lives at his home on the Northern Air Temple.

'The Duke', runs an inn in the eastern Earth Kingdom.

Bato of the Water Tribe, deceased.

Hak-"

The Grandmaster interrupts. "I'm afraid that we're short on time. Skip to our priority targets."

Zhan wraps a section of the scroll and resumes speaking.

"Former Princess Azula of the Fire Nation, location unknown.

Lady Ty Lee of the Fire Nation, location unknown.

Fire Princess Mai of the Fire Nation, deceased.

Fire Lord Zuko of the Fire Nation, deceased.

Suki of the Earth Kingdom, deceased.

Toph Bei Fong of the Earth Kingdom, deceased."

For a brief second Zhan pauses and looks at the Grandmaster's back. Then continues.

"Sokka of the Southern Water Tribe, deceased.

Katara of the Southern Water Tribe, location unknown.

Avatar Aang, deceased."

Finished, Zhan wraps the scroll and puts it back on his pack and addresses the Grandmaster "But you already knew most of that didn't you sir?"

The Grandmaster turns and smiles softly at Zhan. "Of course." He starts walking out the door, Zhan follows. "Ready the ship for immediate departure. We leave at the crack of dawn." The Grandmaster suddenly stops in his tracks and turns around.

"Sir, is something wrong?"

The Grandmaster is silent for a moment. "Zhan, go on ahead without me, I'll be right there."

Zhan leaves without another word. The Grandmaster walks back to the window and stares at the moon, then down at the ocean. He stares at it for several minutes.

"I've made my move. Now it's your turn."

The Grandmaster swings the cape of his robe over his shoulder and leaves out the front door.

.

.

.

.

.

The Grandmaster comes back in.

"Almost forgot."

He grabs his bowl and chopsticks and swings his cape again, then leaves.


End file.
